Montreal: SunTrust Racing preview

MONTREAL (July 31, 2007) -- The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve may be a
track with a rich racing history, but getting around it remains nothing
but a mystery as the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series prepares to pay its
first-ever visit to the 2.71-mile,...

MONTREAL (July 31, 2007) -- The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve may be a
track with a rich racing history, but getting around it remains nothing
but a mystery as the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series prepares to pay its
first-ever visit to the 2.71-mile, 15-turn Formula 1 layout for
Friday's Montreal 400K.

Co-drivers Max Angelelli and Jan Magnussen of the No. 10 SunTrust Pontiac
Riley, along with their teammates at Wayne Taylor Racing, hope to make
short work of learning the finer points of negotiating their way around
the legendary circuit that plays host to F1's annual Canadian Grand
Prix. They'll get their first chance when they first take to the
track for practice Thursday morning as they continue their quest for a
second Rolex Series championship in the last three seasons for SunTrust.

After 10 of 14 events on the 2007 schedule, Angelelli and the SunTrust
team find themselves in second place in their respective driver and team
championships, 11 points behind driver Scott Pruett and his No. 01 Telmex
Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Lexus Riley entry. Lurking close
behind -- just two points back in both the driver and team standings
-- are five-time race winners Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty of the No.
99 Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley team, who scored their
series-high fifth victory of the season two weekends ago at Barber
Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala.

While Angelelli will be making the first start of his illustrious racing
career at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Magnussen returns to the scene of
his career-best Formula 1 finish of sixth, driving for Stewart Racing in
the 1998 Canadian Grand Prix. It was Magnussen's last of 25 career
F1 starts from 1995-98, which also included the 1997 Canadian GP, when he
was forced to make an early exit in the Stewart Racing entry after an
incident on the opening lap.

Team owner Wayne Taylor, who co-drove with Angelelli to the 2005 Rolex
Series title in the SunTrust racing machine, also has one career start at
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, driving the Spice Engineering 3.5-liter Group
C prototype in the 1990 480K of Montreal World Sports Car championship
event. His only recollection of that afternoon, which resulted in a
21st-place finish with co-driver Fermin Velez, was an on-track encounter
with Keke Rosburg.

If recent history is any indication, Angelelli, Magnussen, Taylor and
engineer Travis Jacobson and his technical staff just might have the
familiar, blue No. 10 SunTrust Pontiac at the front of the pack by the
time qualifying takes place. Just two races ago, the series visited
another venue for the very first time -- the tight, challenging Iowa
Speedway circuit -- where Magnussen posted a top-three qualifying
effort and found himself leading the race in the early going before an
off-course excursion relegated he and Angelelli to a seventh-place
finish.

Angelelli and co-driver Memo Gidley rebounded quickly at Birmingham the
very next weekend by posting the team's seventh podium finish of
the season, despite the effects of extreme heat exhaustion that struck
Angelelli at the conclusion of his 89-lap stint behind the wheel. Their
goal this weekend is to continue chipping away at the No. 01 team's
lead in the points and to try and find an answer to the hard-charging No.
99 team. With a full field of Daytona Prototypes and GT-class competitors
racing together for the first time since the Brumos Porsche 250 at
Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on July 5, the SunTrust camp
certainly likes its chances.

Practice for Friday's Montreal 400K -- running in conjunction
with Saturday's first-ever NASCAR Busch Series race in Canada begins Thursday with qualifying set for Friday at 9:30 a.m. EDT. Race
time is 4:15 p.m.

You're racing at Montreal for the first time in your career.
What's on your mind as you head north of the border?

"I'm really looking forward to this weekend. We had a good
test at Barber (Motorsports Park in Birmingham) the day after the race
there. Otherwise, I really don't have any idea what to expect at
Montreal. I've been to the circuit three times in the past, looking
after drivers in the Formula 1 race. But I never even had time to walk
around the circuit, so I am totally in the dark. It's a good thing
that I really like surprises. On paper, I believe the closest thing to
the Montreal circuit is Long Beach. It has long straightaways and tight
corners. We have a good package for that. We always have a good package.
I do know it's a good, quality track and we will be running with
the GT cars, so it will be a very exciting race."

Without even the benefit of a test at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, and
the event being only a two-day show, do you feel your work will be
particularly challenging this weekend?

"Yes, we are absolutely in the dark ... complete, total
darkness. The track is basically a complete unknown to us. So we will
have to work quickly to be sure our gearing is correct, and to make sure
we have the right amount of downforce. We have to get everything done in
a very short time. We will try to, at least. It looks like the track is
very tight in certain places. The good thing is, we have a very good team
and we are capable of getting the job done."

You had a scary moment there at the end of the Birmingham race, suffering
from the effects of extreme heat exhaustion. How do you feel, now?

"It was very, very scary. I thought I died. But everyone did a
great job getting me out of the car and giving me fluids at the (track)
medical center. I want to thank everyone who came to my rescue. I feel
fine, now. We had a good test there on Monday (after the race), so it was
business as usual. But there are things I don't remember about the
race, and even practice and qualifying. That concerns me. But, otherwise,
everything is back to normal."

You enjoyed one of your career racing highlights at Circuit Gilles
Villeneuve back in 1998. Are you excited to come back to the facility for
the first time since then?

"I have pretty good memories of Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. I scored
my only Formula 1 World Championship point there in 1998. I came in
sixth, which is a pretty good result. I like the track. It's a cool
track. It definitely suits me, and I believe it will suit our cars.
I'm looking forward to going back. I like Montreal. It's one
of the nicest places I've been."

Even though it's been nine years since you've been there, can
you describe some of the finer points of a lap around the circuit?

"It's got a little bit of everything. Fast corners, slow
corners, long straightaways. It's got some places where you have to
really commit yourself to going super hard into the corners. You also
have to commit yourself to hit the curbs in just the right way in a
couple of key places, like the last chicane heading onto the front
straight. If you hit it too much, the car bounces. If you hit it too
little, you're going too slow. I remember that being one of the
trickiest places. To tell you the truth, it's been nine years and a
lot of race tracks have gone by in my mind since then. I'm sure
we'll get up to speed in short order. The team's quite good
at figuring out circuits quickly with the setup of the car and
everything. I'll just do my usual thing, help as much as I can, and
try to get the best result."

The championship tightened up with the results from Birmingham two
weekends ago. What are your expectations heading to Montreal for the
first time?

"Obviously, we are definitely within striking distance in the
driver and team championships. We're 11 points behind with four
races to go, so we have to consistently beat the 01 car. Our objective at
Birmingham was just that, and we did what we set out to do with our
seventh podium finish of the year. The 99 car is red hot, having won for
the fifth time at Birmingham, so we have to keep trying to find an answer
to that. The 75 (Krohn Racing) car is also showing its strength as we
head down the stretch. So we have a nice, four-car battle for the
championship."

What is your knowledge of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve?

"I raced there in 1990, driving for Spice Engineering when they had
the 3.5-liter Group C program in the World Sports Car championship. I
don't remember exactly how the day went, other than the fact I took
out Keke Rosburg. (Laugh.) That's about my only memory of the race.
It's really a great venue. Montreal is really nice with all its
great hotels and restaurants. It's really a fun place, and they
love their racing there."